The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will be conducting prescribed burns this spring on wildlife management areas managed by the Iowa DNR’s Iowa River Wildlife Unit in Linn, Johnson, Benton, Iowa, Tama, Poweshiek, Cedar and Mahaska counties.
Areas scheduled for prescribed burns are the Iowa River Corridor in Benton, Tama and Iowa County; Spring Grove, Union Grove, Kunch, and West Salt Creek, in Tama County; Hawthorn Lake in Mahaska County; Hawkeye Wildlife Area, Red Bird in Johnson County; Mink Run in Cedar County; Chain O Lakes in Linn County; and Dudgeon Lake in Benton County.
Prescribed burns are used to improve wildlife habitat, control invasive plant species, restore and maintain native plant communities and reduce wildfire potential and vary in size from a few acres to several hundred acres. Areas are typically burned every one to five years.
Prescribed burns typically begin mid to late morning and are completed by late afternoon or early evening between late March and early May. Burns will be conducted on a day that meets the objectives and weather conditions defined in the burn plan. Any prescribed burns that are not able to be completed this spring will be considered for the burn schedule next fall.